34 Days
by spaceman-earthgirl
Summary: He hadn't heard from her since she'd left, he didn't even know if she was okay. So he was going to call her instead, whether she wanted him to or not.
1. Chapter 1

The idea for this is similar to my other fic, **Just One Call** but it will be different and they're not related at all. Set during the summer after Beckett was shot.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Castle or the characters.**

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He called her. And the phone went straight to voicemail. He deflated, his strength leaving him as he dropped his phone onto his desk before burying his head in his hands.

She'd told him she'd call, had said she needed some time and she'd call him. But she hasn't, and it's been thirty-four days and Castle can't take the wait any more. He just wants to hear her voice, to know she's okay because he's been having nightmares where she certainly isn't.

It had taken him several days to build the strength up to call her, to convince himself it was the right thing to do, instead of waiting for her to call him like she'd said she would.

What should he do now? He still wants to hear from her, or at least hear from someone that she is okay.

He could call the boys? No, they'd promised that they'd call him if they heard anything from her the last time he was at the precinct.

Lanie? No, she was the same, he knew she'd call if she had any news about her.

Josh? He didn't want to call him either, didn't like the idea that they were off somewhere together, Josh looking after her when Castle wanted it to be him. Didn't like the idea that the reason she hadn't called was because she was too distracted by him and just didn't want to.

But Castle didn't think that was the case. He and Beckett had grown closer in the past year, forming a much more solid friendship than he'd ever imagined they could at the beginning and he didn't think she just wouldn't call because she didn't think he was worth the time.

That just left her father. He had his number, he could easily call him. But what would Beckett think? How would she feel about him going behind her back like that? But it wasn't even about that, he just wanted to know she was okay, because he had a really bad feeling that she wasn't.

Castle rubbed his hands over his face, lifting them and picking the phone back up from where he'd dropped it before. He found Jim Beckett's number in his phone but it took him another minute to gather the courage to call. He hit the call button and brought the phone to his ear, heart pounding as the phone started ringing.

Just as he was about to hang up, a voice came through the phone, "hello?"

His first attempt at replying was stopped by a lump in his throat so he cleared it before trying to speak again, "Hello, Mr Beckett? It's Rick Castle."

"What can I do for you?" her father replied, his voice sounding hesitant as he spoke and he wondered if Beckett was there with him. He realised that he didn't actually know if they were together or not but it was better than the alternative, that she really was with Josh.

He hadn't really planned what he was going to say, probably should have before he'd called but he'd originally thought he was going to be talking to Beckett herself, not her father. "I was wondering if you'd heard from Kate? Or if she's with you? I haven't heard from her and I just wanted to make sure she's okay."

There was silence on the other end of the line before Jim replied, voice full of hesitation now, like he wasn't entirely sure he should be telling him this, "she's with me, but she's not doing great."

"What do you mean?" Castle asked quickly, his voice full of panic, worst case scenarios flashing through his mind.

"Physically, she's fine," Jim replied immediately, not wanting Castle to panic, "she's healing just like the doctors expect but mentally, she's not doing great."

"What does that mean?" He'd meant this call as a way to reassure himself that she was okay, he needed to know that she was okay, but this wasn't doing a very good job of that.

Jim wasn't sure if he should be telling Castle all this but he knew how they man felt about his daughter and whether his daughter would admit it or not, he knew how she felt in return so he told him the complete truth. "The healing process is slow, she hates that she can't do much, that she's exhausted all the time and has to ask me for help which she isn't enjoying at all. She's also in a lot of pain, which is expected but it's making everything difficult for her. But the worst of it is the nightmares and the fear that they bring."

So she has them too? "Nightmares?"

"Every night she wakes up, upset from whatever she's dreamt about. She won't tell me about them but I can tell they're bad." He's often woken to her yelling out in her sleep and there's nothing he can do to help.

"Can I talk to her?" Castle asked, desperately needing to talk to her now, knowing that she wasn't okay, that she was worse than he'd thought. He knew that getting shot wasn't going to be something that was easy to go through but he'd hoped she was healing well, that she was doing alright despite everything that had happened.

"I don't know if that'd be the best idea." These were his daughter's words, not him, he'd tried to convince her to call someone but she wouldn't listen, had said she'd speak to her friends when she was better but maybe this was a way to get her to talk to someone and suddenly, he had an idea.

"Please," Castle said, not above pleading. He can't get the image of her lying underneath him on the ground, covered in blood, out of his mind. He saw her after that, when she was in the hospital, saw that she was alive, but that image is stuck in his mind and he needs to see her again or at least talk to her, to reassure himself that she really is alive.

"What if you came out here instead?" It was a crazy idea but suddenly it seemed like it might actually be the thing to do. Kate had told him that if anyone called, to tell them she didn't want to talk right now and he knew if he handed her the phone, she could easily hang up. But if Castle came here, his daughter would have no choice but to talk to him and she could tell that Rick needed to see Kate too.

Out here? Where were they? "Where are you?"

"We're out at my cabin, not far out of the city, and I think Kate would really benefit from seeing you," Jim said, knowing his daughter wouldn't be happy about what he was doing but he wanted her to get better and this was one way that he thought might actually help her.

"And you want me to come out there? To come see Kate?" Castle asked, making sure he was following what her father was saying, not letting the hope in his chest swell too much before he knew that he'd definitely get the chance to see her. When he got there, she may tell him to leave, that she doesn't want to see him and he would respect her wishes but at least he'd see her again.

"Yeah, what do you say? I think it'd be really good for her, and by the sounds of it, it'll be good for you too."

"Okay," Castle agreed, "will you tell her I'm coming to visit?"

"No, I don't want her to panic because you're coming," he said before quickly adding, not wanting to worry Castle any more than he already was, "not that it will make her panic, but I think it'll be better for her if she doesn't know until you're actually here."

"When do you want me to come then?"

"Today?" he asked. It was still wasn't even lunch time yet, he'd have plenty of time to reach here before night fall and the sooner his daughter saw Castle, the better. He hated seeing her in so much pain and he knew Castle couldn't help her with the physical pain but he may be able to help her with the emotional pain.

Castle's heart started pounding at the thought, his palms growing sweaty just at the idea that he could be seeing her very soon.

"Okay," he managed to choke out, panic suddenly clawing his chest, what if she really didn't want to see him?

"I'll see you later then," her father replied, already worried about how his daughter would react but it was done now, Castle was coming to visit and he'd just have to deal with her reaction when he got here.

"Thanks, I'll see you soon," Castle said before he hung up, dropping the phone back onto the desk in front of him again.

He leaned back in his chair, heart still beating wildly in his chest at the thought of what he was about to do. He sat there for a minute, going over the previous conversation in his mind, marveling at the fact that her father had thought it was a good idea that he come visit her.

At that thought, he quickly stood, rushing into his room to pack a bag. He didn't know if he'd need one, if he'd be staying there or not, but he would be leaving the city and he'd rather be prepared than not for whatever could happen out there.

He called Alexis next, telling her what was happening and where he was going, telling her to call him if she needed anything. And then he was making his way to his car, only fifteen minutes after ending the call with Jim Beckett, not wanting to waste any more time. He hadn't seen her in thirty-four days and he was desperate to see her again.

He was going to see Kate Beckett and he couldn't wait.

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Thanks for reading. Thoughts?


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks to everyone who has favourited, followed, reviewed and read this fic. I hope you like this chapter.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Castle or the characters.**

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Castle pulled up at the address that Jim had texted him, taking in the sight of the small cabin nestled into the surrounding woods. Not for the first time since he'd left this morning, he was wondering whether this really was a good idea or not. She'd have called him earlier if she'd wanted to, right? Maybe she hadn't wanted to see or hear from him at all, maybe he'd thought there was more to their friendship than there actually was and that was why she hadn't called.

He pushed those doubts from his mind, knowing that she was at least his friend and she'd have a reason she hadn't called him. He climbed out of his car and made his way to the wooden steps at the front of the cabin, leaving his bag behind in the car.

Castle was greeted by the door opening before he'd made it up the stairs and onto the porch, Jim standing in the doorway with a smile on his face.

"Nice to see you again," Jim said, holding out his hand for Castle to shake once they were face to face.

"You too, Mr Beckett," Castle replied, taking the outstretched hand, smiling as he shook it.

"I've told you, call me Jim," he said, taking a step to the side and gesturing for Castle to enter his cabin, "and come in, Kate is asleep right now."

Castle walked past him, stepping into the cabin and ending up in a small living room. Jim stepped past him, Castle following down the hallway until they ended up in a kitchen at the back of the house.

"Would you like a drink?" Jim offered as he walked behind the kitchen counter, Castle taking a seat at the table in the centre of the room.

"Coffee would be good, thanks," Castle answered, looking around the small yet cosy looking kitchen, noticing the small things like the family photo hung on the wall that made it a more home-y looking place. They all looked so happy in the photo, all smiling at the camera and it saddened Castle to know that that happiness wouldn't last much longer, only a couple years judging by how old Beckett looked.

"How have you been?" Jim asked as he fixed them both a cup of coffee before he took a seat across from Castle.

"I've been better," Castle admitted, knowing the man could probably see how tired Castle was just by looking at him. It was something that his mother and daughter had commented on several times but no matter how much he tried to sleep, nightmares always woke him. "How are you?"

"I've been better too," Jim said with a sad smile, both of their lies having taken a painful turn when the woman lying just down the hallway had been shot.

"How's your family?" Jim then asked when Castle hadn't said anything, just looked at him with the same sad expression he knew was plastered on his face too.

"They're good," Castle smiled, thinking back over the past month and how they'd both helped him since Beckett had left. Even just a smile from them was enough to lift his spirits slightly, stop him from falling into the bottle, now knew how Jim could've done the same.

Jim was about to reply when they heard a muffled call from down the hallway, "Dad?"

Castle choked at the sound of her voice, the sip of coffee he'd just taken getting stuck in his throat.

"I'll be there in a minute," her father called back, before he turned to Castle, "do you want to see her now?"

Castle nodded, not trusting himself to speak right now so he silently stood, leaving his coffee on the table, and followed Jim down the hallway until they stopped just before a closed door.

Castle's heart pounded as Jim motioned towards the door, gave him an encouraging smile while patting him on the shoulder and then he turned and retreated back to the kitchen, leaving Castle alone outside Beckett's door.

Castle put his hand on the door handle, taking a deep breath before he turned it and pushed the door open. The room was dark as he took a step inside and his eyes were instantly drawn to her lying on the bed in the middle of the room.

He knew that Beckett had seen him in return when he heard her gasp, his eyes meeting hers from across the room.

"Castle?" she asked, her voice a mere croak as she tried to process what was happening. Was he really standing in her doorway?

"Hi," Castle said, taking a tentative step into the room, his eyes still fixed on her.

"What are you doing here?" Beckett asked, panic rising in her chest when she realised that this was actually happening, that he really was standing in the doorway to her room at her father's cabin. How did he even know that she was here?

"I called you earlier but you didn't answer so a called your father instead and he invited me out here," Castle answered, eyes now moving from her face down her body, noticing how still she was holding herself. He didn't know if that was a reaction to him being here or restricted movement from her injury.

"Why were you calling?" she asked, her voice sounding a bit stronger than before and surprisingly calm now compared to the wild beating of her heart that was partly due to the relief of seeing him again and partly because of the fear of what it could mean for them if he'd come here for her.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay," Castle replied, his voice cracking as he spoke. She could hear the hurt in his voice, the pain, that she knew she was the cause of. All the reasons that she'd avoided calling him vanished, now wishing she'd had the courage to call him sooner so he at least knew that she was okay and that she could've known that about him in return. She'd spent the last 34 days thinking about him and she regretted not speaking to him every single one of those days.

"Do you want me to leave?" he asked when she'd done nothing but stare at him, his palms hands shaking as he spoke, he didn't want to leave now, not after only seeing her again for such a short time.

She was panicking, she really was, but she could see the tired lines of his face, how his eyes lacked the warmth they used to. It terrified her to do it but she knew she needed to talk to him, to apologise for not calling when she said she would, because this man loved her and it was time she stopped running from that.

Beckett shook her head and lifted her hand, gesturing to the seat that was beside her bed, one he assumed her father used to watch over her, "do you want to sit?"

She hadn't kicked him out yet which was a good sign so Castle nodded in reply, walked around the end of bed and took the seat she'd offered, eyes now looking anywhere but her face.

Beckett was getting worried when Castle wouldn't meet her eyes so she spoke again, "Castle?"

"Are you okay?" he asked suddenly, eyes flicking to hers, worry clear across his face, "because your dad said you weren't."

She'd have to talk to her dad later about what exactly he'd told Castle but right now he was here and that's all that mattered. She was glad that he'd called and come and found her when she hadn't had the courage.

Beckett shook her head at his question, wanting to be honest with him now. She wasn't okay, but maybe now that he was here, she had a chance to be.

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Thoughts so far?


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks to everyone still reading this, I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Castle or the characters.**

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As Castle sat there looking at her, he noticed how pale she looked, how tired she looked, how every tiny movement had her wincing. He wished he could do something to make her feel better, say something, but nothing came to mind as he waited for her to speak.

"My dad's right, I'm not okay," Beckett said, finding some courage deep inside her that she'd thought that bullet had taken from her. Seeing Castle helps, makes her brave, and maybe she couldn't have called him before but now he's here she's going to speak because he's given her the courage back that she'd lost.

Castle continued to sit silently, just watching her, taking in every detail as she lay on the bed in front of him.

"I'm in a lot of pain, but that's no surprise, and it's manageable most of the time. The doctor says I'm healing well but I'll need to start physical therapy soon." Any movement hurt but she could now get up and move around on her own, but she had to do so slowly and she became tired quite quickly if she moved around a lot. That was the reason she had just had a nap now, had been up and moving around this morning. Her doctor had told her that she should move around as much as she was able now that her injuries were healing well.

"That's good," he said, giving her a small smile. Her father had told him as much but it was good to hear it from her again, to confirm that she was physically getting better.

Beckett gave him a small smile in return, the feeling foreign on her face, something that she hadn't done since she'd left the city.

She took a breath before she spoke again, gathering up all the courage she had left to share this part of herself with him, to open up to him completely, "But the rest of me is not okay. I panic at loud noises, thinking I'm going to be shot again. I'm exhausted, waking from nightmares every night, some are so bad that my dad can hear me call out from down the hall. And then I cut out all of the people in my life that I care about, thinking I needed to be alone to heal, because I didn't want anyone to see me while I was weak but just seeing you again has shown me how much of a mistake that was."

Beckett had looked away from him as she'd spoken but looked back at him once she'd finished and was overwhelmed by the look he was giving her. So much pain was spread across his face because of her words but there was also a look she knew to be love mixed in which gave her the strength to keep eye contact with him while she waited for him to speak.

"Beckett," Castle choked out her name when he'd found his voice, all he could get out while his mind reeled over all she'd just told him. Jim had said she wasn't doing great, was having nightmares, but this was even worse than he'd thought.

Beckett just waited, watching him, eyes fixed on his face while he was deep in thought.

"I'm sorry," Castle finally said, knowing it didn't mean much but wishing he could do something to make her better. He blamed himself, he should've been faster in tackling her, shouldn't have looked into the case to begin with and that guilt had plagued him since the funeral.

"It's not your fault," Beckett replied immediately, seeing exactly what he was thinking, knowing he blamed himself and she wished more than ever that she'd called him sooner, so at least he wouldn't have spent the last month blaming himself for what had happened.

"But-" Castle tried to speak but Beckett cut him off.

"Castle, none of this is your fault, not at all," Beckett said, her tone strong and he knew she didn't blame him but that didn't stop him from blaming himself.

"You said you had nightmares?" he asked, changing the subject, not wanting to discuss blame anymore and he was curious since he had nightmares too, "what are they about?"

"About that day," she replied, her breath coming faster as images flashed to the front of her mind. Beckett focused on him instead, allowing his presence to calm her, reassure her that she wasn't back on the green grass with a bullet in her chest but instead in her father's cabin with him.

"How much do you remember?" Castle asked, wondering if any of that day had come back to her or if she was just having nightmares of being shot general.

She braced herself against the words she was about to say and the impact it would have on him, on both of them, "all of it."

Castle's eyes widened as he realised what that meant. "Does that mean...?"

She nodded as he trailed off, "I remember what you said."

"You know how I feel about you and you still left, still didn't call?" Castle asked, anger suddenly shooting through him, seeping into his voice. He knew she was in pain herself, knew she'd been through a lot but he couldn't deny that it didn't hurt to know that she hadn't even called when she knew how he felt about her, knew how much it would've hurt him to watch her bleed out in front of him and then not see her for a month.

Beckett clenched her eyes shut at the wave of pain that washed through her. She knew she'd hurt him but it was even worse seeing it spread across his face, the pain and hurt clear shining through his eyes.

Beckett hadn't spoken, her eyes shut, so he spoke again, "why didn't you call?"

She opened her eyes, looked at him as she replied with a shaky voice, "I was scared."

"Scared of what?" he asked. He needed to know what was going through her mind, why she hadn't called, how she was feeling.

"Everything," she admitted, her voice quiet and full of emotion as she did. She was, she was scared of everything. Scared of him, scared of her feelings, scared of herself, scared of letting anyone close to her, letting them see her when she was so weak. She was scared.

Castle reached out then, laying his hand over hers that was lying on the bed beside her before he spoke softly, "you should've called." He pushed his hurt down for now, could see that she was hurting too and wanted to help her feel better in some way.

"I know," Beckett replied, tears welling in her eyes and threatening to spill at the fact that after everything she's done, he's still there for her, still loves her.

His thumb stroked over the back of her hand, her skin soft under his as he thought about how he wished he could stay like this forever, just being close to her and never letting go.

"Can I stay?" Castle asked, the thought of having to leave her soon too much to think about right now, he didn't want to think about having to be apart from her again while she was like this.

"What do you mean?" Beckett asked, she didn't want him to leave but she wasn't exactly sure what he meant.

"Can I stay here, just for the next couple of days? I want to be here for when you're scared, I don't like the thought of you being alone," he replied, feeling like he was overstepping a bit but she knew how he felt now and she'd been honest with him, he should be honest in return.

She smiled at him, flipping her hand over that was still under his so she could grab his in return, "I'd like that."

"Yeah?" he asked, a hesitant smile spreading across his lips, seeing her was turning out to be even better than he'd hoped. He was still upset that she hadn't called, that she knew how he felt and had still done nothing but for now it was enough to just be with her. Hopefully over the next few days, they could properly talk, sort everything out between them and they may finally have the chance to have the relationship that Castle's always wanted with her.

She nodded in reply, squeezing his hand and smiling in return, breathing easier at the thought that he was here with her, that she hadn't ruined everything and they still had a chance to be something in the future. Now all she needs is the courage to tell him she loves him in return, which will be a lot easier than she'd previously imagined with all the courage she's gained from just seeing him again.

He loves her and she loves him and just maybe, everything was going to turn out okay.

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I'd love to hear your thoughts.


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks to everyone for reading, here's the final chapter.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Castle or the characters.**

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Castle stayed with her for the rest of the day, only leaving her side when he'd told her she needed to sleep and he made his way to the couch where he's going to sleep, the only available space left in the small cabin.

The next morning, Beckett shuffled into the kitchen around nine o'clock to find Castle at the stove making pancakes.

"Morning," Castle smiled as she took a seat at the table, "sleep well?"

"I did, thanks," she smiled in return. Last night had been one of the first nightmare free nights she'd had since she'd been shot and she knows that's all due to the fact that Castle is here, "you?"

"As well as I can on a couch," he joked as he placed a plate of pancakes in front of her before taking the seat opposite with his own plate.

"Sorry about that," she winced, knowing how uncomfortable that couch can be from times she'd fallen asleep on it herself.

"Where's my father?" she asked a little while later, noticing that she hadn't seen him this morning. He was usually the one to make her breakfast and sit across the table from her while they ate but it was nice that Castle was here to do that with her this morning.

"He went to the store to pick up some things, said he wouldn't be back until later," replied Castle, knowing exactly what her father was doing, trying to give them alone time together.

Beckett nodded in reply. It was weird, being here without her father. He'd basically been around constantly since she'd been injured and while she loved him and was grateful for all he'd done for her, it was good to be able to spend some proper alone time with Castle.

"Do you want to go for a walk after breakfast?" she asked. She'd had been thinking about it since last night, wanting to go out for a walk with him and since the weather was so nice today, it was the perfect opportunity, especially when she didn't know how long he'd be staying with her for.

He paused for a moment, watching her while he thought and Becket grew nervous, wondering now if he was just looking for a polite way to turn her down. She didn't think he would, he wouldn't have asked to stay here if he didn't care for her, but that didn't stop the small part of her brain that always wondered whether she was good enough for him from speaking up again.

"Are you okay to do that?" Beckett's eyebrows shot up at Castle's question but she relaxed, now realising that he was just worried about her.

"Yeah, I've been out a few times with my dad. There's a track through the woods and down to the lake, I can show you around a bit if you want."

"Sounds great," Castle beamed as they finished up their breakfast, "you go get dressed while I clean up here and then we can go?"

Beckett nodded as she carefully stood and went back to her room to change. It took her longer than she would've liked, having to move slowly when removing her shirt and putting on a new one but before long, she was walking back into the kitchen to find Castle sitting at the table, playing on his phone.

"You ready to go?" he asked as he stood, grabbing a bag that was sitting at his feet and moving to stand in front of her. His eyes moved down her body then up to meet her eyes, assessing whether she looked well enough to go out for a walk and admiring the sweat pants and loose fitting t-shirt she'd changed into.

Castle followed Beckett out of the house, only stopping when Beckett grabbed a set of keys that hung by the door so she could lock up as they left. They were pretty secluded out here but she knows her father prefers to leave the place locked up when neither of them are home.

Castle extended his hand to her as the walked out the front door, Beckett accepting it without hesitation so he could help her down the porch steps. Castle was going to let go again when they were on flat ground but Beckett made no move to realise his hand so neither did he, enjoying the feel of her small hand encased in his own.

The walk was slow, which was understandable, but Castle didn't mind the pace, he was just enjoying being out here with Beckett, walking along the path that wound through the woods and headed to a lake that he couldn't see yet.

"Are you okay?" Castle asks a little while later, having noticed their pace had slowed even more and Beckett hadn't spoken in the last five minutes.

"Do you mind if we stop for a minute," Beckett asked, having already stopped, Castle still at her side as their hands were still clasped. Castle dropped her hand and reached into the bag he'd been carrying and pulled out a water bottle, holding it out to her in question.

"Thanks," she replied, taking the bottle from his outstretched hand before opening the lid and taking a long sip.

"Do you want to turn around and go back?" he asked, not wanting her to push herself.

"No, the lake is just around that bend, I want to make it there today," Beckett replied, immediately realising what she'd just admitted when his eyes widened in surprise.

"You mean you haven't walked this far before?"

"No," she replied sheepishly, "my dad always makes me turn around when I show any signs are being tired."

"We should turn around then," Castle replied, worried that she was going to hurt herself if she kept pushing herself like this.

"No, we're nearly there and we can rest by the lake before we go back?" She really wanted to reach the lake today, had been wanting to ever since she'd been able to walk around but her dad had always stopped her, not wanting her to hurt herself. She had so many good memories being here with her family when she was younger and she wanted to go to the lakeside again, to push away some of the dark memories she has of being here the past month and replace them with the light of when her mother was still alive.

Castle saw how determined she was so he acquiesced, figuring it was also better for her to have a rest before they made the trip back. It wasn't like they'd gone far, but in her injured state, he knew the trip must be hard for her. "At least let me help you then?"

She nodded, handing him back the bottle so he could put it away and then she reached out and took his hand but instead of just holding it like before, Beckett wound it around her waist, settling it low on her hip so she could lean into his side, letting him take some of her weight.

Castle stilled at the sudden contact but relaxed when he felt Beckett relax into his side, seemingly content to be this close to him.

"This okay?" she asked, twisting her head up as much as she could without pulling her scars.

Beckett felt Castle nod in reply so they set off at a slow pace again, easier for her to walk now that she was propped against his side.

Beckett hadn't been lying, as they rounded the corner, the lake came into sight and Beckett smiled at the view. Green grass circled the outside of the lake which turned to sand near the edge. Woods surrounded the entire thing, making it difficult to get in or out apart from the various walkways and the one dirt road on the other side of the lake which people usually used to bring their boats in if they already anchored in the water.

"You come out here as a kid?" castle asked, taking in the surroundings himself, grateful again that Jim let him come out to the cabin to see his daughter and Beckett let him stay.

"Yeah, we used to come out here every summer. Dad would go out fishing and we'd watch him from the shore, relaxing and just spending time together."

"That sounds nice," Castle smiled, thinking back to summers he's spent with his own family.

"Do you want to sit?" Castle asked, releasing Beckett from his side and helping her to the ground after she'd nodded her head.

Castle settled down beside her, letting her rest against his side again as she had nothing else to lean on. "Are you hungry? I made some sandwiches and bought a few apples with us."

Beckett accepted the quarter of the jam sandwich he handed her, taking a small bite as she leaned further into his side, relaxing against his warmth.

They'd been sitting in silence, just enjoying the view and the company when Beckett quietly spoke "thanks for coming out here, Castle."

Castle looked down at her but he couldn't see her face as she was still facing forward, her head pillowed on his shoulder.

"Always," he replied, feeling brave as he placed a kiss on her forehead.

"You promise?" She had no right to ask that of him after everything she'd put him through but "always" was their thing, a promise to always be there for each other that she'd broken but she wants to get it back, doesn't want to be without him ever again.

Castle pulled back, shifting them so he could look her in the eyes as he spoke, "I'm never leaving you again."

"Good," she replied, leaning forward slowly, mindful of her injuries, before she pressed her lips against his. His lips were soft as they moved against hers, just as she remembered from their undercover kiss, but this one was so much better because it was real.

"Does this mean I can stay here a few more days?" he asked, slightly breathless, as he pulled back and rested his forehead against hers, a grin plastered on his face which she was sure matched hers.

"Of course," she smiled, pressing her lips to his again for a quick kiss, relieved she hadn't ruined everything between them.

"Does this also mean that when we get back to the city, I can take you on date?" He was already excited just thinking about it, about all the many possible dates he could take her on.

"Of course," she said again, grinning as Castle leant down to kiss her again, just because he could.

"I'm sorry for keeping you away so long, for not calling," Beckett said as she settled back against his side, head against his shoulder once again.

"I know," Castle replied, wrapping his arm around her and holding her close. He may have been mad at her, it may have hurt that she'd kept him away for so long but they were here together now, and that's all that matters.

"You ready to head back?" Castle asked, knowing she must be tired and be in need of a nap soon.

Beckett nodded, pulling away from his side so Castle could stand before helping her to her feet. Castle didn't hesitate, wrapping his arm back around her waist, pulling her into his side like before so he could help her back to the cabin.

Castle lead them back down the path, both smiling at the latest development in their relationship, something that had always seemed inevitable (ignoring the past month) but now they were both thrilled that it had actually happened.

They may still have a long way to go but at least they were on the same page now which was a good place to start. They'd talked, been honest with each other and now they knew where they were heading, a future where they'd be side by side, a future where they could face anything because they'd have the other with them.

* * *

Thoughts?


End file.
